Between Trent Murphy and Shaw Lawson, the Buffalo Bills have an interesting training camp battle brewing.
The Buffalo Bills have figured out half of their edge rush. Jerry Hughes, now entering his seventh year on the squad — sixth as a full-time starter — should continue to be an intimidating force as the team’s right-side defensive end. Though he’s never been a gaudy stat chaser, he provides constant pressure off the edge and is a force to be reckoned with.
But alongside Hughes is a mystery — and consequently a training camp battle — ensuing. Defensive ends Trent Murphy and Shaq Lawson will be duking it out to earn the starting left-side job; the obvious choice to win is far from concrete.
Murphy, a pricey free agent addition last off-season (three years, $22.5 million), will start training camp as the starter adjacent Hughes. Though he disappointed in his first season in Buffalo, it was wholly just. Murphy was still recovering from a torn ACL and MCL suffered before the start of the 2017 season. His rust was all too apparent while injuries to his ankle, groin, knee surfaced. But, when he saw the field (13 games, ten starts), flashes of his prior dominance prevailed (4.0 sacks, 24 total tackles, nine QB hits, five tackles for loss).
Murphy is a physically imposing player that plays with a certain type of relentlessness, power, and understanding of leverage all coaches can rave about. In 2016, with Washington, — his last full season — he wreaked havoc on offensive lines and quarterbacks. Despite not starting one game, he recorded 9.5 sacks, 46 total tackles, 25 QB hits, 55 pressures, and ten tackles for loss.
With Murphy, the hope is that he can return to his pre-injury form. So far, he’s shown just that, as, during spring practice, he’s looked the part of the player the Bills bet big on in 2018. Head coach Sean McDermott raved on his improvement coming off injury during mini-camp, as he said;
"[Murphy] just looks like he’s in a different mental space. Another year removed from where he was last year when we first got him here. — He is a big part of what we plan to do and affecting the quarterback and I just really appreciate what he brings to the table."
If Murphy returns as the player he once was, the Bills will have likely solved their pass-rush issue. However, he’s not going to have it given to him. 2016 first-round pick Shaq Lawson is motivated, talented, and should challenge for the starting job.
Lawson hasn’t lived up to his high draft status in Buffalo. He’s been a solid pass-rusher on the field — tallying eight sacks and 20 career QB hits — but he hasn’t taken the next step nor has he been consistently healthy. In three seasons, he’s missed 13 regular season games via one of a hamstring, ankle, groin, knee, or shoulder injury. He’s shown up overweight before and subsequently has been subject to trade rumors.
Primarily due to the frustrating start of his career, the Bills declined Lawson’s pricey fifth-year option — giving him the motivation to be the player he was expected to be. He’s looking to make an impact heading into a contract year and potentially, his first visit to free agency, as he told Mathew Fairbairn at The Athletic:
"This year right now, it’s do or die. I have to go crazy. — You try to approach every year like a contract year, but for real, for real this year is a contract year. Shoot, I’m trying to get paid. I need a season, a great season to get there.I want people to say, ‘Man, where was this three years ago?’ I know what I have to do. I have goals. I’ve been personally thinking about this. I’ve been doing a lot more meditating and getting my body right. — Just trying to take a different approach. — Just trying to develop and taking that pass rush to the next level."
Contract years put everything in perspective. For the pass-rusher, it’s showing him that what he’s done hasn’t been enough, if he wants the career he envisioned, he’ll have to work for it. The first place that he can do that? Training camp.
As Lawson currently stands, he’s a backup, and will likely be used as a rotational/third-down rusher like he was last year. He can change that by competing well against Murphy for the job, but it’s not going to be easy. Similar to Lawson, Murphy can be a free agent next year, with most of his contract unguaranteed — giving him a motivational edge as well.
The culmination of Murphy coming off an injury — needing to prove his worth — and Lawson entering a vital contract year should make for an exciting training camp battle. Both must succeed to continue playing in Western New York, but only one will get the starting job while the other will earn regulation to a situational role.